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Chapter VI · Twenty Years on Horseback; or, Itinerating in West Virginia

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Chapter six of twenty Years on Horseback or itinerating in West Virginia. This libervox
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recording is in the public domain. Chapter six, the time of holding the
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annual conference having been changed from spring to fall. The next session was held
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at the Simmons Chapel in Lewis County. I was again made presiding Elder,
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stationed in Parkersburg District, and soon moved to Pennsboro, where my headquarters remained
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for the next four years. My diocese extended from Parkersburg to Irondale, a
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distance east and west of one hundred and sixteen miles, and from the Ohio
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River to the north far interior to the south. The fields embraced were Parkersburg
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Station, Parkersburg Circuit, Volcano, Pennsborough, Troy, Middle Island, Little's
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Mills, Grafton, Irondale, Hessville, Tanner, Sylvan Mills, and Smithton.
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A vast amount of hard work I soon discovered would be necessary to make
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anything like a commendable showing in a territory so large and difficult to cultivate.
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The first duty with me was to care for my preachers. It was my
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notion then, and my views have not changed in all these years, that
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if a presiding elder wants his men to do good work, he must first
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of all do his best for them financially. If the salary was insufficient,
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and it nearly always was, as I have shown many times over, it
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had to be supplemented in one way or another. If the stewards were worthless,
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I asked them to resign. If they did not know how to collect,
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I went along and instructed them as best I could. In some cases
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we would canvass the entire neighborhood with a two horse team and wagon, gather
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up flour, corn, potatoes, chickens, meat, eggs, sorghum,
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butter, in a word, anything in everything that could be used as the
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parsonage or exchanged for groceries. When nothing better could be done, I'd load
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up my own horse with flour and meat and lead him to the preacher's home
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with his precious cargo of provisions. Then what a good time we would have.
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Some who are yet at work in the conference were helped in this way.
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I also found it profitable to have the people on each field, if
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at all possible, make the pastor a present of a new suit of clothes
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each year. The plan is usually a popular one, and in most cases
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can be worked if placed in the hands of the right persons. It's the
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equivalent of just so much extra cash to the preacher. But with some it
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may be a query as to how I manage the indifferent pastor sometimes one way,
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sometimes another. Every presiding elder, I suppose, has his own methods.
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My plan was first to aid and encourage him all I possibly could.
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I tried to prove to him in a substantial way that I was his friend
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and wanted to help him make his work a success. If after all this
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he persisted in being a failure, I frankly told him he would have to
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drop out. Such a step requires courage, I know, but it must
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be taken once in a while. No railroad company or any other business concern
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would think of employing inefficient, untrustworthy men. Such a policy would be suicidal.
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Nor can an elder afford to supply his fields with those who are utterly
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devoid of fitness for a work so high and responsible. A man may be
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a good fellow in many respects, and promised to support his elder if continued
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in active service, but these things should have no weight in the matter of
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appointments. The welfare of the church should always be considered before that of the
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individual. If I either must go down, let it be the preacher.
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Why put him in a position to chill, discourage, or perhaps wreck a
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whole charge. Nor should a man be employed if inefficient by reason of age
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or poor health. The fact that a minister was once successful is no reason
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for continuing him indefinitely in the pastorate. A record of usefulness, I know,
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is a crown of glory to any old, worn out toiler. But
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with such glory he ought to be satisfied. I have always hoped, and
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still do that I may have sense and grace enough to retire on my own
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accord before my conference is compelled to put me on the shelf. The Church,
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however, should provide a comfortable living for her servants when they can no
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longer remain at the front. They deserve such recognition, and to withhold it
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is to sin against them and the God whose they are and whom they have
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served. With reference to the presiding elder or superintendent, I will further say
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that he is the most useful and important man we have if he does his
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duty faithfully. Otherwise he is the biggest bore in the church. He is
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not a success if he does mere routine work and nothing more. He must
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reach out. He must be larger than his district, yet strive all the
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while to make it as big as himself. He must keep things going.
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If resourceful, he will always find a way to inspire and off at his
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men if there is anything in them to respond to his efforts. If he
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is not a general, he is not fit for the place. He must
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go panoplaide with helmet and breastplate, shield and sword, ready to fight,
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preach, or die on a moment's notice. How the church and pastor are
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to be pitied when compelled to suffer three or four official visits during the year
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from an old dry stick destitute of sympathy and enthusiasm. The year was not
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without its incidents, both serious and amusing. During one of my quarterlies held
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of the Big Fishing Creek region, a fight occurred among some of the tufts
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as they went from church on Saturday evening. In an article to the county
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paper, I took occasion to criticize rather sharply such behavior and emphasize the fact
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that the officers of law ought to do their duty in all such case.
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In fact, the derelict officials were as severely arraigned as were the offending pugilists.
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Three months later, I was in that section again. After the Sabbath
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morning services at Mount Olive, I went to Laurel, some miles away to
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fill an evening appointment. After writing quite a distance along a high ridge which
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overlooks all the country around it, I turned down a little ravine which led
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to lauren Run. But suddenly my cogitations were interrupted by a big, burly
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six footer who knew of my coming and was waiting for me. Stepping in
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front of my horse, he blurted out, are you the feller who wrote
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that piece on the paper about me? I replied that I did not know
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who he was or what piece he referred to. I'm one of them fighters
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you wrote about in the Star, he said. But what you writ wasn't
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true, so I thought I would wait here for you. Here. In
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the meantime, we were both moving slowly down the hill, and he was
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at my side. If ever I did hard double quick thinking, it was
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then I knew what he was there for, and a general mix up seemed
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inevitable. I at once decided on a policy. I would talk him out
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of any evil intent he might have if it were possible to do so.
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If not, nothing else would suffice, I would get off my horse and
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stay with him just as many rounds as I could, with the hope that
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somebody might come along and help me out if help was needed. I began
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to explain how and where I got my information, and how I felt over
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such unbecoming conduct on the way from divine worship. At this point he interjected
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the remark that my informant was a liar, using adjectives and expletives which would
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not look well in print. But I kept on with my speech, using
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all the eloquence and fervor at my command. I expatiated on the sacredness of
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worship and portrayed in the most vivid colors possible the beauty and praiseworthiness of the
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young man who honors the Gospel and loves and lives in peace with all men.
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Though there was blood in his eye at the start, I soon observed
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that I was gaining on him by and bye. He began to sanction what
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I said. It was clear that I had his attention, so I kept
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on talking something good to him, until he finally stopped me as abruptly as
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when he first met, saying, Wow, I guess I'll go back.
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I kind of thought I'd like to ask you about it. Goodbye. What
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A feeling of her relief came over me as the fellow disappeared, a scrap
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and possibly something worse had been avoided. I at once decided, however,
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that the country editor thereafter would have to look elsewhere for information when such brawls
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occurred, such a narrow escape from I did not know what convinced me that,
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at least in that particular locality, the work of a newspaper correspondent was
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incompatible with that of a presiding elder. It was on one of my visits
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to this same field that I made some of our own dear people very cross
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over a little verse, purely original, which I wrote on the blackboard.
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Nearly everybody used tobacco in some form. Many of the women were snuff dippers
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and smoked the pipe, while nearly all the men either chewed or smoked,
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or did both. The Stanza ran thus, who can chew the dirty stuff
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in the sacred place of prayer? Who can smoke or rub snuff and feel
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that God is there. Years afterward, I was told that some were still
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talking about that piece of poetry. The district paid a salary of four hundred
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and ninety six dollars and fifty three cents to the elder. Out of this,
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he paid for house rent and car fare hundred and ten dollars. The
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thirty seven pastors of the conference received an average of one hundred and forty dollars
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each. The highest salary, four hundred and eighty dollars, was received by
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reven R. A Hit on Parkersburg Station, a hundred dollars of which was
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put into rent. The good Lord only knows how he managed to keep his
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family in respectability, entertain his many visitors, and meet other legitimate expenses on
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the pittance of three hundred and eighty dollars, And the same query may be
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raised in the case of nearly all his collaborators. They somehow succeeded in making
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ends meet. As one of them expressed it, when my wife scrapes the
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bottom of the flower barrel, God always takes notice. This is the victory
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that overcometh the world, even our faith. In addition to the aggregate salary
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received, the presence amounted to one thousand, two hundred and seventy six dollars
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and twenty eight cents, or about thirty four dollars upon an average to each
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pastor. The net increase in the membership of the conference was five hundred and
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sixty four an excellent showing. But the most vexing problem was financial. Times
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were hard, money scarce, and the people generally poor. Yet we believed
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and wrought an expectation of larger things. Thank God they are coming. Pennsborough
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was the seat of the next conference session. Bishop Weaver presided. Perhaps the
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most striking event of the occasion was the presence of Doctor Lewis Davis of Union
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Biblical Seminary. It was his first appearance among us. Probably the wide difference
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between his views and those of the Conference on the secrecy question had kept him
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from making an earlier visit, but his presence was highly appreciated by us all,
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and in turn he greatly enjoyed the courtesies accorded him by the brethren.
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As I bade him goodbye the train, he said, didn't we have a
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glorious time. I'm glad I came. Wish I'd come a long ago.
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The second year on the district was more trying and laborious than the first.
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The preacher placed in charge of Volcano Circuit resigned before the holidays, and not
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being able to secure a suitable supply, I decided to keep up the work
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myself in connection with the duties of the district. The nearest point was ten
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miles from my home and the farthest twenty five. This gave me seven preaching
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places, namely Zion Volcano, Saint Paul, Long Run, Big Run,
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Harmony Grove in Freeport. I could give the charge only an occasional sabbath,
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hence was compelled to do my preaching and visiting among the people on weekdays.
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I held three revivals, preached eighty three sermons, and collected all the conference
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benevolences. For this extra service, I received one hundred and fifty dollars.
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Serving as pastor and presiding elder both kept me from home nearly all the time.
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It was no uncommon thing to reach home late at night and then leave
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early the next morning. But to work was a pleasure and joy. I
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did not mind the loss of sleep. There was not enough ter are in
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the storm or warring elements to prevent the filling of my engagements. No day
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was too cold or night too dark to travel, if by doing so something
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could be done toward lifting up the district. I hope there is no egotism
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in what I here say. There is none. I simply state the facts.
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I lay no claims a superior devotion over my brethren, who worked at
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my side and were loyal to the core. No others but brave, true
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men can succeed among the mountains, or anywhere else for that matter. But
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in some places more of faith and courage and sacrifice are necessary than in others.
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How I pitied my family. They were alone almost constantly, year in
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and year out. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for me to know
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my children well, or for them to know their father. This statement may
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be a revelation to many. If you are in doubt as to its correctness,
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let them ask the opinion of those who have done district work for years
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at a time. I never left home without first commending my loved ones to
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the care of the sleepless eye. Nor did I at any time while absent
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forget them in my devotions. Too much cannot be said for the faithful wife
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of the itinerant. But alas her worth, I fear is not appreciated by
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the church as it deserves to be. People watch and criticize her, to
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be sure, as they do but few other women. But as a rule
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she has not accorded at a very large place in the achievements of her husband.
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Indeed, I sometimes fear the minister himself does not realize her true relation
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to his success in soul winning. God only knows her anxiety and heart yearnings
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as she struggles with the problem of the home in the absence of her husband.
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What a care of the children are to her? But she toils on
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as best she can, with the means sometimes sadly limited at her command.
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The fact is many a successful preacher today would be out of the work but
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for his devoted wife. When ready to quit and turn aside to some other
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occupation more lucrative, she put her womanly heart up against his and urged him
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on to duty, said one of these noble helpers, husband, I know
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we are poor. Our carpets are old and faded, and our furniture is
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scant and plain. I know our dear children are barefooted and can't go to
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school. But I want you to keep on preaching with a faith unfaltering and
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a courage invincible. She was willing to stay in the field, ready to
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serve, ready to sacrifice, ready to die, and thank God, ready
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for heaven. Her interest in her husband, God's servant knows no abatement.
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Day and night. She is before the Throne in his behalf. And are
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not her petitions heard? If not whose will be? We must not deceive
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ourselves. She has a divinely appointed place in the work of redemption and one
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of tremendous significance, a helper in soul saving. Her reward is sure.
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As she stands by her husband's side on coronation mourning, she too will hear
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Heavens well done for the loyal royal part she has taken and the service she
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has rendered in the ministry of reconciliation. In the earlier days of the conference,
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district work was exceedingly laborious because of the vast, mountainous territory to be
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traversed. If some of the circuits embraced from ten to twenty appointments extending over
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portions of three or four counties, it is evident that the presiding Elder had
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his hands full in superintending twelve or fifteen of these fields. The journeys on
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horseback were long and fatiguing. It was no uncommon thing to change horses at
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the end of a twenty five mile ride through the mud or over frozen roads.
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In the midst of one of these long trips, Doctor Warner once stopped
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a few minutes in Pennsbury, the home of Missus Caroline Siegler, one of
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God's jewels, and after putting his tired animal away, mounted a fresh one
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and started on toward his appointment, eating a piece of cold corn bread.
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As the good woman looked after him, she could not keep the tears.
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She knew something of the hardships which had fallen to his lot. Yet those
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hardships were born by a martyr's courage, for the sake of the church he
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loved and in which he died. On a certain Friday morning, I was
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to leave for my second quarterly on a little miles charge, a circuit with
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which the reader is already familiar because of the happenings I have related in connection
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with it. The distance was some thirty five miles. The day brought with
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it a fearful snow storm, which seemed to make it unwise for me to
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attempt the trip on horseback, but I meant to hold the meeting. Wife
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and children said don't go this time. Others interjected, you are foolish,
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nobody will expect you. But they were mistaken. The people did look for
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me. Taking the train in the evening, I went to Parkersburg forty miles,
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and the next day to New Martinsville fifty seven miles, and then walked
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sixteen miles, partly Saturday evening and the balance of the way the next morning,
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arriving in time for the ten thirty services. I was glad I went.
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The pastor needed me and anxiously awaited my coming. I should never have
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felt right over the matter if I had disappointed him. End of chapter six